Impact of Adolescent Vaping on Brain Health
Official title: Project 2 - Impact of Adolescent Vaping on Brain Health
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-11326318 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores how vaping nicotine might affect the brain development of adolescents and young adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $309,372 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA269048-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11326318 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescents aged 12-20 and young adults 21+, especially those with vaping exposure or at risk for nicotine use.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without exposure to vaping or without participation in the research activities may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This grant focuses on how nicotine from vaping could influence brain regions involved in attention, memory, and emotions during adolescence, a key period of brain maturation. Researchers propose to study how frequency of use and vaping product characteristics relate to brain structure and function, including autonomic nervous system changes and brain connectivity. The work will use human-relevant models and may involve observing or collecting data from young participants to understand potential cognitive and psychosocial effects. The project aims to build a mechanistic link between vaping exposure and brain health outcomes that could inform prevention and public health strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide safer vaping practices and inform interventions to protect adolescent brain development.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work in animals and humans suggests nicotine affects brain development and function, but specific vaping-related mechanisms in adolescents are not well established.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Laurienti, Paul — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Laurienti, Paul
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Parents Helping Parents: A Two-Arm Trial to Help Teens Quit Vaping
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How vaping prevention ads affect teens and young adults
A nationwide project looks at which vaping-prevention video ads work best for teens and young adults and how they might reduce vaping when shown online.
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Motivation-based teen vaping profile to guide quitting help
Aims to understand why adolescents vape and use that knowledge to tailor stopping tools that fit teens.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.